Facial Fillers San Francisco

FACIAL FILLER: Restoring your inner beauty

THE EFFECTS OF AGING ON VOLUME AND TEXTURE

We have all seen the effects of aging and most of us don’t love it. Over time, collagen and elastin are lost and the facial tissues become thinner and deflated. Even the skeletal bone that forms the foundation of our facial architecture thins out, further adding to the downward descent of the facial tissues. Moreover, squinting, frowning, and smiling also inflict stress on the underlying collagen in the skin and accelerate the formation of the facial wrinkles and furrows. Even younger patients in their 20s and 30s can experience premature volume loss, especially if they are fit and active with low body fat composition. Some patients have always had somewhat flat cheekbones or deep laugh lines and are looking for an improved cheek contour. And others are just tired of looking tired even after a good night’s rest!

Very fortunately, we live in a time where there are many easy and quick options available to help us preserve the youthful and supple texture of our skin. These treatments usually take less than half an hour, the discomfort is minimal, and the recovery is virtually none. Patients resume their usual activities immediately after treatment.

Every face is different, and when you come in for your consultation, Dr. Chiu-Collinswill walk you through the entire process, from personalized facial analysis, to pretreatment preparations, the treatment itself, and posttreatment expectations. She encourages education and asking questions, and she is always there to help you.

There is a great variety of facial fillers offered at Union Square Facial Plastic Surgery:

JUVEDERM®

Juvederm is a clear gel consisting of hyaluronate, a naturally occurring substance in your skin that helps provide volume and hydration. Juvederm is used for treatment of facial lines, folds, and wrinkles, as well as deeper soft tissue volume restoration. It is also fabulous for adding natural looking volume to the lips. It has been formulated into an easy to use injectable product that is combined with lidocaine for a more comfortable treatment. Many clients prefer a non-surgical option for facial rejuvenation versus a surgical intervention. Juvederm restores volume and fullness back to areas of loss for a more youthful and immediate result.

RESTYLANE®

Restylane is also a clear, smooth gel made of hyaluronate. It too, is a naturally occurring substance in our skin and, like the other Hyaluronic acid fillers, does not require allergy-testing prior to use. Restylane is also used for replenishing volume to facial architecture, lines, folds, and wrinkles. Restylane is particularly beautiful in restoring the upper cheek flatness that we start to notice in our 30’s. It is also highly effective for recreating the lip landmarks during lip augmentation, yielding a very natural looking result in Dr. Chiu-Collins hands. The result is immediate, and the effects last up to 9 months or more, depending on the site and the individual.

PERLANE®

Perlane is another smooth gel hyaluronic acid (HA) filler. It is used very similarly to Juvederm and produces an excellent result for the treatment of folds, wrinkles, and deep tissue volume loss. Dr. Chiu-Collins demonstrates great, natural-appearing results lasting up to 9-12 months in some individuals. Like all fillers, a touch up is necessary over time to maintain results.

BELOTERO®

Belotero is the newest HA filler on the block. Of all the hyaluronate fillers, it is the thinnest and smoothest in consistency. It is wonderful around the eyes and very fine lines of the face, particularly around the mouth. Ask us if you are a candidate.

RADIESSE®

Radiesse is essential in the spectrum of facial fillers. It is firmer in consistency than the HA fillers and partly made of calcium, thereby making it ideal for replacement of bony volume and deep tissue loss. It is also good for folds and wrinkles of the skin. What makes Radiesse special is it’s biostimulatory qualities— when injected into the skin, it actually stimulates more collagen growth. You have the advantage of the immediate aesthestic result from the injection, as well as enhanced stimulation of your own collagen. Radiesse also lasts longer than the HA fillers, up to 12-18 months in some patients. Like the rest of the facial filler injections, Dr. Chiu-Collins performs your treatment personally.

SCULPTRA®

Sculptra is a unique and long-lasting facial “filler” that has unparalleledbiostimulatory action. It does not have an immediate filling effect, however over the weeks following injection, it will stimulate your own collagen formation. As Dr. Chiu-Collins says, because the Sculptra “grows with you,” the results are very natural looking and the face musculature moves in a very natural way. The results from Sculptra can last up to 2 years or more in some patients! Be aware that your injector must be specially certified for Sculptra injection. Dr. Chiu-Collins is both certified and very experienced in Sculptra injection.

PREPARATION

Filler treatments with Dr. Chiu-Collins typically demonstrate very little to no bruising, however, bruising is possible. Patients who are using substances that can prolong bleeding have an increased chance of bruising or bleeding at the injection site. You should inform us before treatment if you are using: Alcohol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen,Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Ginkgo, Green Tea, Garlic, Ginseng, St John’s Wort, or any herbal medications. You should avoid Aspirin containing products for 10 days before your procedure, and you should avoid NSAIDS (Ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin, Aleve, etc) and herbal supplements for 7 days prior to your treatment. Avoid alcohol 48 hours prior to treatment. If you are prescribed any of these medications by your physician you must consult with them prior to stopping any medication.

RECOVERY

There is no recovery time needed for filler treatment! You may resume your usual activities immediately, except we advise no exercise for the rest of the treatment day.

ALWAYS A TEAM APPROACH

When you come in for your consultation, Dr. Chiu-Collins will walk you through every step of the process, from education and facial analysis, to pretreatment instructions, the treatment itself, and what to expect afterwards. She personally performs all Botox and Filler treatments.

If you’re interested in learning more about Facial Fillers, call or email Union Square Facial Plastic Surgery for a consultation: 415-702-3000, info@unionsquareFPS.com